Wood-block flooring



Oct. 14, 1930. w. F'ETZ vwoon BLOCK FLooRlNG 2 Smets-Sheet 1 Zig-5- Filed March '7. 1928 I N VEN TOR,

oci. 14, 1930.' w, 'FTZ 1,778,068

y woon BLox FLOORING Filed Maren 7. 192s 2 sheets-sheet 2 gwuantof/ rnerjz Patented Oct. 14, 1930 yUNITED STATES PATENT; OFFICE WERNER FETZ, 0F MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO CELLIZED OAK FLOORING, INC., OF MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE WOOD-BLOCK FLOORING Application led March 7,

My invention relates to wood block flooring and has particularly in view a method of laying it, that is rapid and in which the blocks Awill be lsecurely held in position when the fioor is finished.

The floor is constructed of fabricated blocks which are suitably interlocked in the finished floor by means of cooperating integral tongues and grooves, and insertible splines and grooves, on the adjacent blocks.

Referring to the drawing for a more complete disclosure of the invention:

Figs. 1 and 2 show different layouts that may be employed in laying the ioor;

Fig. 3 shows diagrammatically the relative position of the tongues, grooves and splines and the blocks in laying the fioor;

Figs. 4 and 5 are end views of the fabricated block; and y A Figs. 6, 7 and 8 show modications of the layouts of Figs. 1 and 2.

The fabricated wood block 1 consists pref*- erably of three pieces 2, 3 and 4 of strip oor. ing. Each piece has an integral tongue 5 along one side and a groove 6 along the opposite side. Each piece, also has a groove 7 on both ends and formed -therein preferably A before the pieces are fitted together to form the block. The pieces as thus prepared are fitted tongue to groove and locked together in assembled relationshipfin any suitable manner, such as by Vmeans of a metal-spline 8 tightly fitting in the groove 16. When thus fitted and joined together, the pieces form a square block, grooved on three sides and having a tongue on the other side From the manufacturing standpoint, there are advantages in making a fabricated block of this construction. Ordinary strip flooring has a tongue and groove along its sides. In using short pieces of iooring for making the fabricated block, it is only necessary to cut the piecesgto the desired length and then groove them on the ends and in the middle on the underside, and thereafter assemble them in the fabricated block.

Utilizing av block of this conguration, i there are a number of dierent Ways that itcan be laid,but by laying the blocks accord- 1928. Serial No. 259,873.

ing to my method the Hoor when nished will be stronger than otherwise.

Two plans for first laying out the floor are shown in Figs. 1 and 2. That shown in Fig. 1 is a square layout and that shown in Fig. 2 is a diagonal layout. Referring to Fig. 1, a center line 9 is first located lengthwise of the room and along this line is'laid a temporary straightedge or piece of iooring 10, provided with a tongue 11. From the center point 1,2, lengthwise of the center line 9 and at right angles thereto, another temporary straight edge or piece of flooring 13, provided with a tongue 14, is laid along the center line 21. i

That shown in Fig. 2 is a diagonal layout and differs from Fig. 1 in that the straight edge 10 instead of being laid along the center line, .is laid at an angle of 45 degrees thereto so that the finished blocks of flooring, instead of being parallel with the center lines, are diagonal thereto.

In both cases, however, the laying of the blocks is started from the center point 12.

The arrangement for starting the laying from the center point 12, as shown in- Fig. 1, is followed when an even number of blocks will be used, the length and breadth of the room. If the measurements ,preliminary to laying show that an uneven number of blocks will be used, both ways of the room, then the straight edges 10 and 13 should be set over so that the center point 20 of the block coincides with the center point 12 of the room. In other words, the straight edges 1() and 13 are moved away from the center lines 9 and 21 one-half the width and length of a block.

In laying the blocks for a square layout, in which there is an even number oneway of the room and an uneven number the other way, as shown in Fig. 7 only one of the straight edges, as 10, will be moved from the center line of the room a distance equal tothe width of half a block, to compensate for the uneven number, the other straight edge, as 13, remainingin the sameposition.

In laying the blocks diagonally, Where there is an uneven number both ways of the room, the center point 20 of the block and the center point 12 of the room willcoincide, as shown in Fig. 8, and the angles of the blocks will be biseoted by the center lines 9 and 12 of the room.

In laying the blocks diagonally of the room, where there is an uneven number one way and an even number the other way, the arrangement shown in Fig. 2 will be followed, without regard to which way the unevenness exists. l

Referring to Fig.- 3, the fabricated blockl is `first laid in the corner position, with one of the end lgrooves 7 fitting the tongue 11 of thestraight edge 10, and the side groove 6 fitting the tongue 14 of the straight edge 13. The tongue 5 on the block 1, as well as the other end groove 7, is then at right angles tol its respective adjacent straight edge. A floor nail 15 is then blind nailed through the block adjacent the tongue 5 into the wooden s ubflooring in the customary manner of laylng floors. The fact that the tongues of all the fabricatedblocks are on the outer free edge ofthe floor as it is being laid permits nailing each fabricated block as it is laid.

In laying the block flooring on a cement subfloor or a wooden subfloor without nailing, then the blocks will be secured to the subfloor by means of an interposed non-setting plastic cement.

A block 17, similar in construction to block 1 is now laid adjacent the block 1, so that the groove 6 will fit the tongue 11one of the grooves 7 fitting the tongue 5 on the block 1. It will be noted that the tongue 5 on ythe block 17 is adjacent to and at night angles to the tongue 5 on the block 1.

A wooden spline 18, the same length as the tongue 5 and approximately double the width is inserted in the groove 7 of the block 1. Another block 19 is now laid adjacent the block 1, so that the lower groove 7 fits the tongue 14 and groove 6 fits the `spline 18, thereby locking the blocks 1 and 19 together. A block 20 is now laid with a groove 7 fitting A the tongue 5 of the block 17. Interposed between the groove 6 of the block 20 and a groove 7 of the block 19 is another slip spline 18.

With this construction it will be noted, that at the point where the Jfour blocks l, 17, 20 and 19 meet, t1 at there are two integral tongues and two slip splines adjacent to and at right angles to each other, respectively. This construction is much stronger than any arrangement of blocks in which there would be three or four slip splines meeting at the junction point of the'four, blocks.

The order of laying the rest of the blocks in the floor is continued in the same manner as described above and as shown in the drawing.

What is claimed is:

means of integral tongues and 'insertible splines, two tongue joints and two spline joints meetingat the junction point of all the blocks.

2. Wood fiooring formed of blocks united by means of integral tongues and insertible splines, the tongues and splines being adjawardly in all directions Atoward the walls of l the room.

4.. The method of laying block flooring provided with edge grooves comprising setting a straight edge medially ofthe room, setting another straightl edge medially of the room atan angle to the first straight edge, a tongue along the inside of both of said straight edges to fit the said grooves and laying the blocks from the straight edges outwardly in all directions toward the walls of the room.

` 5. The method of laying block flooring provided with three edge grooves anda tongue comprising starting from a midpoint of the room and laying the ,blocks so that some of the grooves will-be in the same straight line and others of the grooves will alternate with the tongues, and inserting splines between opposite grooves.

6.- The method of laying block flooring` comprising setting a straight edge cross-wise of the room and at a distance from an opposite Iwall which will be an even multiple of the length or width of a block and then laying the blocks from a midpoint of the room along the straight edge outwardly in all directions to the walls of theroom.

7. Wood' flooring formed of blocksv in which there is an integral tongue on one side of the block, and grooves on the other sides, the said blocks being united by means of ther-*said integral tongues and insertible splines fitting in the said grooves, .the tongues and splines in the floor being adjacent to and at an angle to each other respectively, two tongue joints and two spline joints meeting at the junction point of all the blocks.

8. Block flooring in which there is an inte- Amiy gral tongue on one side vof the block and grooves on the other three sides, insertible splines fitting in two of the grooves and the tongue of an adjacent, block fitting in the third groove, two tongue joints and two spline joints meeting at the junction point.

9. The method of laying block flooring in which the blocks are joined together by a tongue and groove vconnection comprising setting a straight edge crosswise of the room setting another straight edge' crosswise of the room at an angle to the rst straight edge, a cooperating tongue and groove connection between the inside of a straight edge and the side of a block, and layin the blocks along the straight edges outwardly to the walls of the room.

10. The method of laying block ooring comprising setting a straight edge medially of the room, setting another straight edge medially of the room and at an angle to the first straight edge and laying the blocks along the straight edges outwardly in all directions to the walls of the room.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature.

WERNER FETZ. 

